Spanish River and Domtar mill in Espanola

Espanola is a city in Northern Ontario that founded in the early 1900s for the employees of the Spanish Pulp and Paper Company. Though still a fine paper town, Espanola is now renowned for its picturesque wilderness, lakes, fishing, camping, hiking and golfing opportunities.

Understand

Espanola's population has hovered near the 5000-5500 number for the last 30-40 years. It has a beautiful golf course that lies along the Spanish River, several motels, camp grounds and restaurants for visitors, and is the largest shopping area between Sudbury and Sault Ste Marie.

History

The story of how Espanola got its name dates back to the 18th century where an Ojibwe tribe went out on a raid far away and brought back a Caucasian woman who spoke Spanish. This woman was said to have married into a First Nations family and taught her children to speak her mother tongue. Later, when French voyageurs would make their way to the mouth of the river they were surprised to hear bits of Spanish spoken by the local natives. Thus giving the town the name “Espagnole” which was later anglicized to “Espanola”. The river was subsequently then called the Spanish River.

The town of Espanola was founded in the early 1900s for the employees of the Spanish River Pulp and Paper Company. The town soon populated and housed a hotel, school and theatre. A couple decades later the mill was closed during the Great Depression and was rendered a ghost town. During the war Espanola was used as a German prisoner camp and later reopened and produced paper once again. Throughout the years the pulp and paper mill has become committed to lessening their environmental impact.

The 1969 CBC Television series Adventures in Rainbow Country was filmed near Espanola, close to the small First Nations community of Birch Island and at Whitefish Falls.

Get in

By bus

Espanola has Highway 17 (Trans-Canada Highway) passing through it. Espanola can be reached by car by travelling east from Sault Ste Marie or west from Sudbury on Highway 17, then south on Highway 6 for 2 miles.

By bus

• Ontario Northland, toll-free: +1-800-461-8558. Operates primarily in Northern Ontario. (updated Apr 2022) Operates a route between Sault Sainte Marie and Sudbury including stops in Blind River, Elliot Lake, and Espanola.

Get around

Espanola is accessible by car but the best part of it all is that it is accessible to anyone by foot or by paddle along the Spanish River.

See

• Massey Fair, 3rd weekend in August. Since 1908, tractor pulls, horse shows and lumber-jacking. Local farmers and gardeners still bring their best produce, jams and breads, quilts and handiwork.
• Massey Museum & Information Centre, 150 Sable Street, Massey, ☏ +1 705-865-2266. Illustrates the settlement and development of the Township of Sables-Spanish Rivers and Sagamok Anishnawbek. (updated Dec 2018)

Do

Espanola is renowned for its picturesque wilderness, lakes, fishing, camping, hiking and golfing opportunities. It offers many groomed snowmobile trails, and the Espanola Ski Hill for downhill skiing. Take a walk along the fitness trail to the shores of a sparkling lake Espanola.

• Come Play in the Snow, toll-free: +1-800-838-1663. For trip itineraries or guided snowmobile or ATV adventures. 

Buy

• 1 Espanola Mall, 800 Centre St., ☏ +1 705-869-4443. Free parking and several stores, including a department store, Dollarama, and grocerystore. (updated May 2022)
• Northwest Trading Company, 327 Hwy 17 at the Junction of Hwy 6, ☏ +1 705-869-2345. Daily 9AM-7PM. Footwear, clothes, gifts, decorating inside and outside of home, ice cream, beautiful moccasins, outerwear, jewellery. Homemade jams, relishes, native wear. (updated Dec 2018)
• Serpent River Trading Post, 479 Highway 17, Cutler, ☏ +1 705-844-2864. Daily 8AM-10PM. A small museum, art gallery, souvenir and craft shop featuring First Nations(Aboriginal) craftwork. There is an artist's studio attached to the store. (updated Dec 2018)

Eat

• Roger Rabbit's Restaurant, 92 Park St. # 1, ☏ +1 705-869-3418. Daily 6AM-2PM. Breakfasts, diner food. (updated May 2022)
• Hong Kong Restaurant, 481 Centre St., ☏ +1 705-869-2326. Daily 11AM-8PM. Chinese buffet or a la carte. (updated Dec 2018)
• Cortina Restaurant, 383 Centre St, ☏ +1 705-869-2104. Tu-Sa 11AM-8PM, Su M 3:30-8:30PM. Burgers, pizza, pasta, wings. (updated May 2022)

Drink

• Marshall's Bar & Grill, 585 Centre St. # 104, ☏ +1 705-869-1441. Daily 2PM-2AM. In Marshall's Motel. 

Sleep

Hotels and motels

• Pinewood Motor Inn, 378 Centre St, toll-free: +1-855-418-5290. 51 rooms, restaurant and lounge. Free high speed wireless is available in all rooms. From $125. (updated May 2022)
• 1 Massey Motel, 295 Sables Street W., Massey, toll-free: +1-866-590-2500. Air conditioning, kitchenettes available, high speed Internet. $68.50-109.50. (updated Dec 2018)

Fishing and hunting camps and lodges

• 2 Agnew Lake Lodge, 847 Agnew Lake Road, Webbwood, toll-free: +1-877-299-6098. 15 fully equipped clean cabins with full kitchen and bathrooms. All cottages are close to the lake and a great lake view. Cabins $101-425, campsites $42.50. (updated Dec 2018)
• 3 Black Bear Camp, 801C West Branch Road, Webbwood, toll-free: +1-800-440-2887. Rustic log and frame cabins furnished and equipped with woodstove, fishing and swimming, 600-foot sandy beach. Cabins $95-155. (updated Dec 2018)
• Charlton Lake Camp, Whitefish Falls, toll-free: +1-877-587-3474. One-, two-, and three-bedroom housekeeping cottages with fully equipped kitchens, three-piece bathrooms (sink, toilet, and shower), potable water, and electric heat. May-Jun Sep $86-137, Jul-Aug $143-228. (updated Dec 2018)
• 4 Bull Lake Outfitters, Hwy 553, Massey, toll-free: +1-866-735-3649. A wilderness resort without electricity. From $100. (updated Dec 2018)
• 5 Waterfalls Lodge, 432 Waterfalls Road, Spanish, toll-free: +1-800-666-2812. Modern lakeside cottages, full facility dining room and lounge. (updated Dec 2018)

Connect

• 1 Espanola Public Library, 245 Avery Dr, ☏ +1 705-869-2940. M-Th 9AM-8PM, F 9AM-5PM, Sa 9AM-1PM. Provides public computer and internet access. (updated Feb 2023)

Go next

• Blind River — a small town about 100 km (62 mi) west, once a trading post, on the way to Sault Ste. Marie
• Killarney — looks much closer than it is, because the Near North landscape here isn't open to road travel. The 175 km (109 mi) drive will take you through Sudbury first.
• Sudbury — the largest city and transportation, service, and business hub in Northern Ontario, 72 km (45 mi) along the Trans-Canada Highway.
• Manitoulin Island — Espanola is the jumping-off point for travel to Manitoulin Island from the north.

Routes through Espanola

Sault Ste Marie ← Blind River ← Jct N ←	W  E	→ Sudbury → North Bay
END ←	N  S	→ Manitoulin Island → Owen Sound